Faith Goes Walkabout

Thoughts and reflections

Category: Diocese of Norwich Page 1 of 2

Papua New Guinea Bishop of Norwich Lent Appeal 2024 The Water of Life

By

On February 16, 2024

In Diocese of Norwich, Lent, pilgrimage, Uncategorized

Ten years ago I went to Papua New Guinea on a pilgrimage with the Diocese of Norwich.

Since then I continue to be active in supporting projects to help people in that country. In 2024 we are hoping to raise enough money to supply water tanks for the student accommodation at Newton Theological College. This will bring then freshwater and enable sanitation too.

A great project and to get the appeal started, three of the committee at the Diocese of Norwich PNG Link group, including myself, are presenting a series of talks at Norwich Cathedral Library this Saturday morning.

More info will be posted Saturday afternoon.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Only two days away!!

By

On March 26, 2023

In community, Diocese of Norwich, Faith goes walkabout

Martha had sent a message to Jesus to come quickly as her brother Lazarus was seriously ill. But Jesus stayed away for two days, why?

Some different thoughts on time keeping are…

Nice and early, Always on time, Just in time and Running late!

Nice and early. I have to admit to hardly ever fitting into the first one, nice and early. As much as I would love to be that organised I never really am.

Always on time is not for me either, hand on heart. I am now better but I have to really work at it!

Just in time fits me nicely. Gathering things together, having a last cup of tea and then getting to the right place.

Running late – can still be said of me occasionally now. I don’t like it as it means that you may be letting people down, so I do try hard!

And so Mary and Martha were distraught, Lazarus, their brother had died, They had sent word to Jesus who was only two days away, so why didn’t he come then?

Read more… Sermons 2023

A Sky full of Angels!

By

On January 14, 2023

In Diocese of Norwich, Faith goes walkabout

Sky Full of Angels

In the depths of our winter, 2nd January was a bright and sunny day. Gazing westwards across the Norfolk fields I saw a sky lit up with  angels (disguised as clouds)! There is certainly one who is shining so brightly!

Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies!

Rev’d Sue Martin

Epiphany

By

On January 8, 2023

In Diocese of Norwich, Epiphany, Faith goes walkabout

Baubles in Advent

Epiphany – the realisation that Jesus is in the world with us all!

And so the good news continues. Epiphany is the time when the Magi arrived at Bethlehem,

We know the story, we know why the Magi brought the gifts they did, they were gifts for a king. Melchior from Persia brought gold, Caspar from India brought myrrh and Balthazar from Ethiopia brought frankincense.

This the real celebration, we have all the story, we have the light of the world come to live with us, and he will be with us forever.

Read more in Epiphany page.

Let’s move forward into 2023 in the light, it has dispelled the darkness and will never be put out! Alleluia!

Rev’d Sue Martin Diocese of Norwich

Advent Sunday

By

On December 2, 2022

In Advent, church seasons, Diocese of Norwich

St Mary’s East Walton

Advent means the arrival or the coming.

Just as it’s getting darker and darker with the nights getting longer and longer, we start thinking about the light of the world;

All out of darkness there came light…

The light of the world has come among us to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light from the collect.

What does that mean, the works of darkness, the armour of light?

Read more in Advent 2022...

Harvest Services with Schools

By

On October 19, 2022

In church seasons, community, Diocese of Norwich

Harvest services from our schools have filled the churches. Way beyond our expectations. Churches bursting at the seams. Food donations piled high at the font and the altar. All ready to be taken to the town food bank.

Children’s voices raised the roof. Prayers read and stories told.

What more could I add than just the biggest thank you from the depths of my heart for bringing back the love, laughter and joy to church.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Help and Pray for the People of the Ukraine.

By

On March 2, 2022

In community, Diocese of Norwich, Ukraine

…dreadful and devastating crisis emerges before our eyes

The dreadful and devastating crisis emerges before our eyes as the Russian military invade Ukraine.

This is something we have not experienced for over eighty years. Hundreds of thousands of children and adults have been affected. The evacuation of so many people on the roads with their suitcases, travelling away from their homes to places of safety, such as Poland, Moldova, Romania, and Hungary. Europe is united in support of these people who need our help now.

What can we do? Firstly, we can pray. We can pray for the people and for peace. In our schools, in our churches and in our homes. We can pray on our own or join in with others to show solidarity, united in faith.

Secondly, we can give. It may be online donation or actual clothes and food and medicines. There are places in every town where these can be sent to depots to reach the Ukrainian people, wherever they are.

There are many large charities where your money will be well used. UNICEF is focussing on children and families.

Donate now to protect children in Ukraine

A Prayer for Ukraine

Dear Father,

We pray for peace and for the leaders of the countries as they try valiantly to open talks and prevent further fighting and use of weapons.

We pray for the people in Ukraine, those who have stayed and those who have travelled away from their country, in fear and desperation for their lives. Children and families have been separated in the fight for the freedom of their country. Help us to do what we can to help, by giving and praying.

Father, hear our prayers and calm our fears. Be with us and with our neighbours of Ukraine.

Amen.  Rev’d Sue Martin, Diocese of Norwich

 

Feeling small…

By

On February 6, 2022

In community, Diocese of Norwich, Faith and business

I have always been fascinated by the large container ships that carry vast numbers of containers across the world. In October 2018, I was visiting my daughter and family in Hong Kong and we were fortunate to or not, to get very close to a large container ship.

We were out on a small junk, with a crew of two people and crossing the shipping channel on our way back to Hong Kong. I had seen the large container ship travelling our way and as it came closer we slowed down to let it pass in front of us.

The video shows how close we were, it made us feel very small. This container ship was certainly not one of the largest, but it made me realise how small we are in the big scheme of things. Maybe a speck of dust from outer space, but yet each one of us is special to God!

Like all the things inside those containers, from the smallest reel of brightly coloured ribbons to large boxes of fruit, being small does not matter.

Back in March 2021,one of the largest container ships The Ever Given became stuck in the Suez Canal. The Ever Given was 400 metres long and held 20,000 containers. Once stuck it was an enormous problem to re-float this huge structure. As a result, large number of container ships had to wait at the entrance to the Suez Canal and shipping around the world was delayed.

How dependant we are on far away places.

Rev’d Sue Martin

 

 

Epiphany 1

By

On January 10, 2022

In church seasons, Diocese of Norwich, Epiphany, Faith goes walkabout

Arise and shine for your light has come ! Isaiah chapter 60:1

How hard it is to emerge from the darkness, the long dark nights and the cold wet days. What a joy the sunrises and sunsets and the days we have had where the sky is blue and we can feel the strength of the sun, that bright shining star that we depend on to survive.

Some time in the surf would be just the thing!

So, moving on from Christmas and into Epiphany, the time when the light shines on us all as we realise that the day has dawned when Jesus is with us for ever. The greatest ever moment of Epiphany.

Read more in Epiphany…

Advent 3 Sunrise

By

On December 18, 2021

In Advent, Christmas, community, Diocese of Norwich, Faith goes walkabout, Sermons, Uncategorized

I’m going to start with the sunrise! Yesterday morning was absolutely wonderful. I was just getting up about 7.00am and looked outside to see a warm reddish pink glow on the skyline, so I said how lovely it was and continued with my usual ‘getting up’ arrangements.

By 7.30am I was outside  looking at the sky, touched by pinkness on the edge of high clouds.

All out of darkness we have light!

Read more on Advent 2021...

Page 1 of 2

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén